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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stock — shares
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. swing — to play on
  10. ground — a position
  11. swing — music
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cap — a lid
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bound — certain
  18. foot — a measure
  19. swing — in golf
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. suit — to fit
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com